[TR] More OD (electrical?) Woes

[Bud R]

Bill,

You need to eliminate the relay as the problem. Did you do the Dan Masters
check list?

Bypass the relay by running a lead from the brown wire directly the
yellow/purple on the relay to see if the solenoid engages. If it does then the
relay is most likely bad.

Burned contacts on a relay will allow the right voltage to the bullet on the
solenoid and all seems well but burned contacts dont send enough current
(amps) to the solenoid to energize the pulling coil in the solenoid.

Steve Yott (see below) explained it to me when I had a bad solenoid. Also
check the wires on the OD switch, the wires can appear to be attached but see
if they wiggle, hence


> This is normally caused by a bad relay.  When the contacts as burned you
> will see the voltage appearing on the wire you are talking about but not
> enough current can pass through the contacts to supply the 20 amps needed
to
> induce the solenoid to engage, once actuated it should then drop to a 2 amp
> current draw.
>
> What it boils down to is that resistance (burned contact) will read the
> voltage through the connection but not allow enough current to pass.
>
> Steve Yott

Bud Rolofson

Extreme Parts Racing (more than just a haircut)

71TR6 CC57365 (Good 6)
71 Spitfire MK IV Race Car #3
69 Spitfire MK III (back up FE engine/dinghy car)
93 Minnie Winnie Race Support Vehicle
77 Z-50A Hardly Davidson Honda Mini-Trail Bike (Triumph Pit Bike)












On Aug 3, 2014, at 4:59 PM, William Brewer <wsb1960tr3a at att.net> wrote:

>     So I have the trans tunnel off of the TR3A. When you throw the OD
switch,
> nothing happens. I put a test light at the bullet connector to the solenoid
> and get a light. My multimeter is dead and I am heading into town now to get
a
> 9V battery to get it going again so I can measure voltage going to the
> solenoid.
>     I tried a battery charger on the solenoid on the workbench and
> it seemed to actuate well.
>     I tried the battery charger test on the
> solenoid installed in the car and it didn't move.
>     The circuit to the
> solenoid has a fuse that blew somewhere in my testing. I changed out the 20
> amp fuse. It worked with the old solenoid as installed for about 15 years.
>
> The car has had a dead battery several times in the last month.
Coincidence?
> Not sure what is going on there.
>     My TRF repro OD switch is a little
> finicky and I have had to wiggle it side to side to get the OD to engage in
> the past. It is still that way.
>     The trans and OD are topped off with oil.
>     I tried the solenoid that came with the professionally rebuilt trans.
It
> worked for about 500 miles and then the OD didn't engage anymore. I tried
the
> solenoid that was in my last trans (that I changed out because it was
> rattling). It was working when I took it out, but now it doesn't work in
the
> car.
>
>      It is almost like the solenoid grounding path isn't complete. I
> have a woven grounding strap from the engine front plate to the frame. That
> should be good enough. Maybe I am not getting enough voltage to the
solenoid
> when installed in the car, although my battery test should have taken care
of
> that.
>
>     Any ideas?
>
>     Bill Brewer - Tehachapi
>
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